Fracionamento de proteína e carboidratos segundo CNCPS de cinco forrageiras irrigadas ou não durante a seca.

Objetivou-se fracionar os carboidratos e proteínas forrageiras submetidas ou não a irrigação. Foram avaliadas: Panicum maximum, Urochloa brizantha, Andropogon gayanus, Urochloa humidicola e Digitaria umfolozi, submetidas a dois níveis de irrigação. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em esquema fatorial 5x2, com 4 repetições. As forrageiras foram plantadas em parcelas com 4 m², foram realizados dois cortes com intervalo de 45 dias. As forrageiras foram avaliadas quanto aos teores de proteína bruta (PB) e proteína bruta digestível (PBd), fibra em detergente neutro (FDN), hemicelulose, fibra em detergente ácido (FDA), celulose e lignina. O fracionamento da PB e CHO foi feito segundo o CNCPS. Observou-se interação significativa para PB e PBd (P0,05). O U. brizantha apresentou maior teor dos componentes da parede celular e das frações dos CT. Observou-se que a irrigação aumentou o percentual de CT das forrageiras, não houve efeito da irrigação (P>0,05) nas frações dos CT.The objective was to fractionate carbohydrates and subjected feed proteins or no irrigation. Were evaluated: Panicum maximum, Urochloa brizantha, Andropogon gayanus, Urochloa humidicola and Digitaria Umfolozi, subject to two levels of irrigation. The experimental design was a 5x2 factorial arrangement with four replications. The forages were planted in plots with 4 m², two cuts were performed with an interval of 45 days. The forages were evaluated for crude protein (CP) and digestible crude protein (DCP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), hemicellulose, acid detergent fiber (ADF), cellulose and lignin. Fractionation of CP and CHO was done according to the CNCPS. There was a significant interaction for CP and DCP (P0.05). The U. brizantha presented the highest content of cell wall components and fractions of CT. It was observed that the irrigation increased the percentage of CT fodder, no effect of irrigation (P>0.05) in fractions of CT.El objetivo era fraccionar los carbohidratos y las proteínas forrajeras sometidas o no al riego. Se evaluaron: Panicum maximum, Urochloa brizantha, Andropogon gayanus, Urochloa humidicola y Digitaria umfolozi, sometidos a dos niveles de riego. El diseño experimental utilizado fue en un esquema factorial 5x2, con 4 repeticiones. Los forrajes se plantaron en parcelas de 4 m², se hicieron dos cortes con un intervalo de 45 días. Se evaluaron los forrajes para la proteína cruda (PC) y la proteína cruda digerible (PCd), fibra detergente neutra (FDN), hemicelulosa, fibra detergente ácida (FDA), celulosa y lignina. El fraccionamiento de PC y CHO se realizó de acuerdo con el CNCPS. Se observó interacción significativa para PC y PCd (P 0.05). La U. brizantha mostró un mayor contenido de componentes de la pared celular y fracciones de CT. Se observó que el riego aumentó el porcentaje de CT de forrajes, no hubo efecto del riego (P> 0.05) en las fracciones de CT

Management of peripheral facial nerve palsy

Peripheral facial nerve palsy (FNP) may (secondary FNP) or may not have a detectable cause (Bell’s palsy). Three quarters of peripheral FNP are primary and one quarter secondary. The most prevalent causes of secondary FNP are systemic viral infections, trauma, surgery, diabetes, local infections, tumor, immunological disorders, or drugs. The diagnosis of FNP relies upon the presence of typical symptoms and signs, blood chemical investigations, cerebro-spinal-fluid-investigations, X-ray of the scull and mastoid, cerebral MRI, or nerve conduction studies. Bell’s palsy may be diagnosed after exclusion of all secondary causes, but causes of secondary FNP and Bell’s palsy may coexist. Treatment of secondary FNP is based on the therapy of the underlying disorder. Treatment of Bell’s palsy is controversial due to the lack of large, randomized, controlled, prospective studies. There are indications that steroids or antiviral agents are beneficial but also studies, which show no beneficial effect. Additional measures include eye protection, physiotherapy, acupuncture, botulinum toxin, or possibly surgery. Prognosis of Bell’s palsy is fair with complete recovery in about 80% of the cases, 15% experience some kind of permanent nerve damage and 5% remain with severe sequelae

Lycopene Inhibits NF-kB-Mediated IL-8 Expression and Changes Redox and PPARγ Signalling in Cigarette Smoke–Stimulated Macrophages

Increasing evidence suggests that lycopene, the major carotenoid present in tomato, may be preventive against smoke-induced cell damage. However, the mechanisms of such a prevention are still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of lycopene on the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-8 induced by cigarette smoke and the possible mechanisms implicated. Therefore, human THP-1 macrophages were exposed to cigarette smoke extract (CSE), alone and following a 6-h pre-treatment with lycopene (0.5–2 µM). CSE enhanced IL-8 production in a time- and a dose-dependent manner. Lycopene pre-treatment resulted in a significant inhibition of CSE-induced IL-8 expression at both mRNA and protein levels. NF-kB controlled the transcription of IL-8 induced by CSE, since PDTC prevented such a production. Lycopene suppressed CSE-induced NF-kB DNA binding, NF-kB/p65 nuclear translocation and phosphorylation of IKKα and IkBα. Such an inhibition was accompanied by a decrease in CSE-induced ROS production and NOX-4 expression. Lycopene further inhibited CSE-induced phosphorylation of the redox-sensitive ERK1/2, JNK and p38 MAPKs. Moreover, the carotenoid increased PPARγ levels which, in turn, enhanced PTEN expression and decreased pAKT levels in CSE-exposed cells. Such effects were abolished by the PPARγ inhibitor GW9662. Taken together, our data indicate that lycopene prevented CSE-induced IL-8 production through a mechanism involving an inactivation of NF-kB. NF-kB inactivation was accompanied by an inhibition of redox signalling and an activation of PPARγ signalling. The ability of lycopene in inhibiting IL-8 production, NF-kB/p65 nuclear translocation, and redox signalling and in increasing PPARγ expression was also found in isolated rat alveolar macrophages exposed to CSE. These findings provide novel data on new molecular mechanisms by which lycopene regulates cigarette smoke-driven inflammation in human macrophages

Diagnostic, prognostic and predictive value of cell-free miRNAs in prostate cancer : A systematic review

Publisher Copyright: © 2016 Endzeliņš et al.Prostate cancer, the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in males worldwide, is estimated to be diagnosed in 1.1 million men per year. Introduction of PSA testing substantially improved early detection of prostate cancer, however it also led to overdiagnosis and subsequent overtreatment of patients with an indolent disease. Treatment outcome and management of prostate cancer could be improved by the development of non-invasive biomarker assays that aid in increasing the sensitivity and specificity of prostate cancer screening, help to distinguish aggressive from indolent disease and guide therapeutic decisions. Prostate cancer cells release miRNAs into the bloodstream, where they exist incorporated into ribonucleoprotein complexes or extracellular vesicles. Later, cell-free miRNAs have been found in various other biofluids. The initial RNA sequencing studies suggested that most of the circulating cell-free miRNAs in healthy individuals are derived from blood cells, while specific disease-associated miRNA signatures may appear in the circulation of patients affected with various diseases, including cancer. This raised a hope that cell-free miRNAs may serve as non-invasive biomarkers for prostate cancer. Indeed, a number of cell-free miRNAs that potentially may serve as diagnostic, prognostic or predictive biomarkers have been discovered in blood or other biofluids of prostate cancer patients and need to be validated in appropriately designed longitudinal studies and clinical trials. In this review, we systematically summarise studies investigating cell-free miRNAs in biofluids of prostate cancer patients and discuss the utility of the identified biomarkers in various clinical scenarios. Furthermore, we discuss the possible mechanisms of miRNA release into biofluids and outline the biological questions and technical challenges that have arisen from these studies.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Psychopharmacotherapy of panic disorder: 8-week randomized trial with clonazepam and paroxetine

The objective of the present randomized, open-label, naturalistic 8-week study was to compare the efficacy and safety of treat- ment with clonazepam (N = 63) and paroxetine (N = 57) in patients with panic disorder with or without agoraphobia. Efficacy assessment included number of panic attacks and clinician ratings of the global severity of panic disorders with the clinical global impression (CGI) improvement (CGI-I) and CGI severity (CGI-S) scales. Most patients were females (69.8 and 68.4% in the clonazepam and paroxetine groups, respectively) and age (mean ± SD) was 35.9 ± 9.6 years for the clonazepam group and 33.7 ± 8.8 years for the paroxetine group. Treatment with clonazepam versus paroxetine resulted in fewer weekly panic attacks at week 4 (0.1 vs 0.5, respectively; P < 0.01), and greater clinical improvements at week 8 (CGI-I: 1.6 vs 2.9; P = 0.04). Anxiety severity was significantly reduced with clonazepam versus paroxetine at weeks 1 and 2, with no difference in panic disorder severity. Patients treated with clonazepam had fewer adverse events than patients treated with paroxetine (73 vs 95%; P = 0.001). The most common adverse events were drowsiness/fatigue (57%), memory/concentration difficulties (24%), and sexual dysfunction (11%) in the clonazepam group and drowsiness/fatigue (81%), sexual dysfunction (70%), and nausea/vomiting (61%) in the paroxetine group. This naturalistic study confirms the efficacy and tolerability of clonazepam and paroxetine in the acute treatment of patients with panic disorder

Second asymptomatic carotid surgery trial (ACST-2): a randomised comparison of carotid artery stenting versus carotid endarterectomy

Background: Among asymptomatic patients with severe carotid artery stenosis but no recent stroke or transient cerebral ischaemia, either carotid artery stenting (CAS) or carotid endarterectomy (CEA) can restore patency and reduce long-term stroke risks. However, from recent national registry data, each option causes about 1% procedural risk of disabling stroke or death. Comparison of their long-term protective effects requires large-scale randomised evidence. Methods: ACST-2 is an international multicentre randomised trial of CAS versus CEA among asymptomatic patients with severe stenosis thought to require intervention, interpreted with all other relevant trials. Patients were eligible if they had severe unilateral or bilateral carotid artery stenosis and both doctor and patient agreed that a carotid procedure should be undertaken, but they were substantially uncertain which one to choose. Patients were randomly allocated to CAS or CEA and followed up at 1 month and then annually, for a mean 5 years. Procedural events were those within 30 days of the intervention. Intention-to-treat analyses are provided. Analyses including procedural hazards use tabular methods. Analyses and meta-analyses of non-procedural strokes use Kaplan-Meier and log-rank methods. The trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN21144362. Findings: Between Jan 15, 2008, and Dec 31, 2020, 3625 patients in 130 centres were randomly allocated, 1811 to CAS and 1814 to CEA, with good compliance, good medical therapy and a mean 5 years of follow-up. Overall, 1% had disabling stroke or death procedurally (15 allocated to CAS and 18 to CEA) and 2% had non-disabling procedural stroke (48 allocated to CAS and 29 to CEA). Kaplan-Meier estimates of 5-year non-procedural stroke were 2·5% in each group for fatal or disabling stroke, and 5·3% with CAS versus 4·5% with CEA for any stroke (rate ratio [RR] 1·16, 95% CI 0·86–1·57; p=0·33). Combining RRs for any non-procedural stroke in all CAS versus CEA trials, the RR was similar in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients (overall RR 1·11, 95% CI 0·91–1·32; p=0·21). Interpretation: Serious complications are similarly uncommon after competent CAS and CEA, and the long-term effects of these two carotid artery procedures on fatal or disabling stroke are comparable. Funding: UK Medical Research Council and Health Technology Assessment Programme

Predicting SARS-CoV-2 variant spread in a completely seropositive population using semi-quantitative antibody measurements in blood donors

SARS-CoV-2 serologic surveys estimate the proportion of the population with antibodies against historical variants, which nears 100% in many settings. New approaches are required to fully exploit serosurvey data. Using a SARS-CoV-2 anti-Spike (S) protein chemiluminescent microparticle assay, we attained a semi-quantitative measurement of population IgG titers in serial cross-sectional monthly samples of blood donations across seven Brazilian state capitals (March 2021–November 2021). Using an ecological analysis, we assessed the contributions of prior attack rate and vaccination to antibody titer. We compared anti-S titer across the seven cities during the growth phase of the Delta variant and used this to predict the resulting age-standardized incidence of severe COVID-19 cases. We tested ~780 samples per month, per location. Seroprevalence rose to >95% across all seven capitals by November 2021. Driven by vaccination, mean antibody titer increased 16-fold over the study, with the greatest increases occurring in cities with the highest prior attack rates. Mean anti-S IgG was strongly correlated (adjusted R2 = 0.89) with the number of severe cases caused by Delta. Semi-quantitative anti-S antibody titers are informative about prior exposure and vaccination coverage and may also indicate the potential impact of future SARS-CoV-2 variants

Conformational analysis and electronic interactions of some 2- [2′-(4′-sustituted-phenylsulfanyl)-acetyl]-5-substituted furans and 2- [2′-(phenylselanyl)-acetyl]-5-methylfuran

The conformational equilibrium of 2-[2′-(phenylselanyl)-acetyl]-5-methylfuran (1) and 2-[2′-(4′-sustituted-phenylsulfanyl)-acetyl]-5-substituted furans (2–7) was determined through the infrared (IR) analysis of the carbonyl stretching band (νCO) supported by M06–2X/aug-cc-pVDZ level of theory. Three stable conformations [sc(anti), ac(anti) and sc(syn)] were obtained in vacuum, with the sc(anti) the most stable for compound 1–6 and the ac(anti) for compound 7. The IR spectrain solution of n-C6H14, CCl4, CHCl3, CH2Cl2 and CH3CN show in general νCO doublets for compounds 2–6, with the exception of triplets in n-C6H14 for 2–4 and a symmetrical band in CHCl3 for 1, 3–6 and in CH2Cl2 and CH3CN for 1. The p-nitrophenyl compound 7 is insoluble in n-C6H14 and CCl4 and displays a doublet in all the other polar solvents. The PCM data allow to ascribe the sc(anti) conformer to the lowest frequency more intense νCO IR component and the sc(syn) one to the other doublet component for compounds 1–6, while the intermediary νCO frequency ac(anti) conformer, with negligible population, is assignedto the third triplet component predicted in n-C6H14 for compounds 2–4. Conversely, for compound 7, the more intense and lowest frequency νCOIR component was ascribed to the ac(anti), whereas the highest frequency one to the sum of the sc(anti) and sc(syn) populations. The conformational preferences of compounds 1–7 are governed by a balance between the orbital and the coulombic interactions estimated by means of natural bond orbitals (NBO), quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM), non covalent interaction (NCI) and short contacts analysis. While NBO delocalization energies indicate the ac(anti) conformer as the most stable for all compounds, NCI analysis reveals in the sc(anti) and sc(syn) conformers of compounds 1–6 an additional intramolecular stabilizing π‧‧‧π stacking interaction between the furyl and phenyl ring, which is counterbalanced in the sc(syn) conformer by the repulsive coulombic short contact between the carbonyl and furyl oxygen atoms. For compound 7, the ac(anti) conformer turns to be the most stable one as the electron withdrawing effect of the nitro substituent on the phenyl ring decreasesthe stabilizing π‧‧‧π stacking on the sc(anti) conformer

Optically stimulated luminescence of the [20% Li2CO3 + x% K2CO3 + (80 - x)% B2O3] glass system

This study analyzed the optically simulated luminescence (OSL) of borate glasses containing lithium carbonate and potassium carbonate. Borate glasses present desirable characteristics for dosimetry and have been extensively analyzed in relation to thermoluminescence (TL). Five formulations containing 20% of Li2CO3 and different amounts of B2O3 and K2CO3 were produced. Their OSL signal was analyzed following exposure to beta particles. The decay pattern typical of continuous wave stimulation (CW-OSL) was observed for all compositions. Depending on the parameter chosen to normalize the dose-response curve, the sensitivity range changed. If the initial OSL intensity was chosen as reference, the composition containing 65% B2O3 and 15% K2CO3 (named L15KB) presented the most intense signal. However, if the total area below the curve was considered, the composition containing 70% B2O3 and 10% K2CO3 (named L10KB) was the most sensitive. A comparison of the OSL decay for the two quoted compositions, after pre-heating to 200 °C for 10 s prior to the OSL readout, showed a slight change in the decay pattern compared to the absence of pre-heating. The pre-heating treatments also showed the correlation between the shallow traps and the fast component of the OSL decay for L15KB. For all compositions, an increase in dose implied an increase in emitted signal, and no saturation was observed between 0.1 Gy and 7 Gy